Adhesive backed finger holds and purlicue stop for fitment to handheld devices

Abstract

Finger holds that are adhesively secured and form ridges jutting downwardly from the back surface of an associated handheld device are described. Each finger hold provides a location by which the user's finger tip can brace and consequently permit the user to better grip and hold the device with a single hand.

I claim:  
     
       1. In combination, a handheld device having a back side and a plurality of finger holds wherein each of the plurality of finger holds (i) being separate and distinct from each of the other finger holds and (ii) having a bottom side wherein the bottom side is adhesively secured directly to the back side, each of the finger holds defining a ridge, the ridge rising outwardly from the bottom side and including at least one ridge face, the ridge face of each of the finger holds facing generally in the same direction as the ridge faces one of the other finger holds, wherein each of the finger holds further includes an integrally formed planar foot portion and intersecting with the ridge at a base thereof, the bottom surface being part of the planar foot. 
     
     
       2. The combination of  claim 1 , wherein the ridge face of at least one of the finger holds is arcuate. 
     
     
       3. The combination of  claim 2 , further comprising a purlicue stop being of an elastomeric material. 
     
     
       4. The combination of  claim 1 , wherein the ridge face of each of the finger holds is arcuate. 
     
     
       5. The combination of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of finger holds are adhesively secured to the back side by a pressure sensitive adhesive. 
     
     
       6. The combination of  claim 1 , wherein each of the finger holds is comprised of a polymeric material. 
     
     
       7. The combination of  claim 6 , wherein the polymeric material comprises an elastomer. 
     
     
       8. The combination of  claim 1 , further comprising a purlicue stop, the purlicue stop being wrapped around an edge of the handheld device. 
     
     
       9. The combination of  claim 8 , wherein the purlicue stop is adhesively secured to the edge by a pressure sensitive adhesive. 
     
     
       10. The combination of  claim 1 , wherein a perimeter shape of each of the planar foot portions comprises a decorative shape. 
     
     
       11. A method of using a handheld device using at least two finger holds, wherein each of the finger holds consists essentially of (i) a single crescent-shaped bumper having a height of about 0.125″ defining a generally arcuate concave portion having an effective radius of 0.50″ or less, (ii) a planar foot portion integrally formed with the crescent-shaped bumper including a bottom surface, and (iii) a pressure sensitive adhesive layer affixed to the bottom surface, the method comprising:
 providing a handheld device having at least first and second finger holds attached to a backside of the handheld device; and 
 holding the handheld device with one hand with a first fingertip being received in a first concave portion of the first finger hold and a second fingertip being received in a second concave portion of the second finger hold. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein each of the finger holds is comprised of an elastomer having a Shore A durometer of less than 70. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 11 , wherein a perimeter shape of the planar foot portion of each of the finger holds comprises a decorative shape. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 adhesively securing the first finger hold to the backside of the handheld device at a position corresponding to a location that the first fingertip of a user normally rests when holding the handheld device; and 
 adhesively securing the second finger hold to the backside of the handheld device at a position corresponding to a location that the second fingertip of the user normally rests when holding the handheld device. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 11 , wherein said providing the handheld device further includes providing the handheld device with a purlicue stop attached to an edge of the handheld device; and wherein said holding the handheld device further includes the purlicue stop resting upon a skin webbing between a thumb and forefinger of the one hand.